Profile

Michael Rubin

Location: USA

Michael Rubin serves as Chairman and CEO of Fanatics. He is the founder and CEO of Kynetic. Mr. Rubin is a co-founder and board member of Candy Digital. Co-founder and Chairman of the Board of Directors of ShopRunner.

NUMBER

#698

Xs

2

Investments

20

Exits

5
Photo by areteindex.com
Unicorns
Overview
About Michael Rubin
Number of Portfolio Companies 1
Location USA

Michael Rubin serves as Chairman and CEO of Fanatics. He is the founder and CEO of Kynetic. Mr. Rubin is a co-founder and board member of Candy Digital. Co-founder and Chairman of the Board of Directors of ShopRunner. He is the founder and CEO of Radial. Kynetic is the latest chapter in his rich history as one of the country’s most successful and respected entrepreneurs. The company began after eBay acquired GSI Commerce, Inc. for $2.4 billion. In 12 years, he and his team transformed GSI into a global network of e-commerce, multi-channel and digital marketing businesses serving 150 of the top 500 online retailers. Driven by a true passion for building an online consumer business, he created Kynetic, which includes three former GSI companies: Fanatics, the leading online retailer of licensed sporting goods; Rue La La, the leading online retailer of private label products in the US; and ShopRunner, an innovative service combining the benefits of shopping from leading retailers and brands. He began building a business at age 12, when he opened a ski customization company in his parents’ basement. His success as an entrepreneur was featured on the first season of the hit CBS channel show “Undercover Boss,” and has been covered in numerous media outlets, including The Wall Street Journal, CNBC, CNN, The New York Times, BusinessWeek and People. He is also an angel investor.

About Michael Rubin

Especially in the domains of online retail and licensed sports items, Michael Rubin is a well-known personality in the entrepreneurship world. In particular, by utilizing digital channels to satisfy the demands of contemporary consumers, he has drastically changed the way sports memorabilia is promoted and sold in his capacity as founder and CEO of Fanatics. Establishing GSI Commerce and then selling it to eBay for $2.4 billion in 2011 were among the major turning points in Rubin’s early entrepreneurial career. His economic empire has been built on Fanatics, one of the important assets he deftly bargained to keep after the sale.

Education

Like his business, Michael Rubin’s educational route is unusual. After enrolling at Villanova University, he concluded that a job in academics was not for him. Rubin left school to focus entirely on his business goals. Despite the risks involved, this choice showed his strong conviction in self-learning and practical skills above traditional education. This belief has obviously paid off, as evidenced by his subsequent triumphs in the fiercely competitive fields of sports merchandising and internet retail.

Family

Regarding his private life, Michael Rubin mostly stays out of the public eye, but it is known that he is single and has one child. Rubin makes his duty as a parent his top priority, balancing his obligations to his family and his business, even in the face of his demanding and ambitious commercial endeavors. His dedication to preserving interpersonal ties in the midst of running a multinational company is demonstrated by this facet of his life.

Interesting Facts

Michael Rubin’s business enthusiasm was obvious at a young age, as he opened Mike’s Ski & Sport, a ski-tuning shop, in his parents’ basement at his young age of 12. His foundation for understanding customer service and corporate operations was established by this early efforts. Rubin’s belief in leveraging his resources and position to create a beneficial impact outside of the corporate sector is evident in his support for social justice and his charitable endeavors, which are interspersed throughout his career.

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Company name
ENTRY ROUND
VALUATION at entry ($M)
Xs
VALUATION 
STORD
Series D
$1 035M
1,26
$1 300M

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2024